2024 Winner

Pizza Hut faced a challenge when it came to connecting with Gen Z, which associated the brand with childhood memories rather than for its current cultural relevance. Seeking to resonate with this audience, Pizza Hut and Leo Burnett dove into TikTok and discovered a trending AI-generated pizza commercial, the “Pepperoni Hug Spot,” mimicking Pizza Hut’s iconic elements. The brand decided to bring the fctional Pepperoni Hug pizza to life. Pizza Hut engaged Gen Z by incorporating polls into social posts to gauge interest in creating the Pepperoni Hug pizza for real.

Pizza Hut executed the “Pepperoni Hug Spot” within a week, transforming a location into a Pepperoni Hug-themed hub for one weekend. The QSR achieved 20 million impressions across leading news outlets and a 78% increase in social impressions, reaching 276,000 Gen Z consumers. The “Pepperoni Hug Spot” event not only engaged the target audience but also resulted in the special pizzas selling out.

Credits

Agency: Leo Burnett, Toronto
Client: Pizza Hut Canada

Creative Agency: Leo Burnett, Canada
President: Ben Tarr
Co-Chief Creative Officers: Steve Persico, Lisa Greenberg
Chief Strategy Officer: Tahir Ahmad
Managing Director, Account Services: Natasha Dagenais
Group Creative Director: Ryan Lawrence
Senior Copywriter: London Choi
Senior Art Director: Danielle Zablocki
Design Director: Marcelo Hong
Designer: Jason Vandenberg
Senior Producer: Jesse Katzev
Group Strategy Director: Pooja Beri
Senior Strategist: Aleeza Yermus
Group Account Director: Scott Lyons
Account Director: Graham Copestake

Production Company: FUZE Reps
Director: Arash Moallemi
Executive Producer: Nicole Gomez
DOP: Arash Moallemi

Post Production: Leo Burnett Production
Executive Producer: Gord Cathmoir, Janice Rebelo
Post Producer: Shannon Morgan
Editor: Jeff Poremba
Motion Graphics: Dan Purdy
Production Manager: Bill Ing

Media: Wavemaker
Group Account Director: Dan Boem
Media Planner: Rachella Du

Organic Social: Diamond Marketing
Group Account Director: Colleen Kelly
Account Executive: Alice Fortuniak
Associate Creative Director: Marianne Lau
Copywriter, Content Creator: Dylan Kloek
Art Director, Content Creator: Kass Palter
Senior Digital Strategist: Natalie Legault
Producer: Akriti Suman

PR: Edelman
Senior Vice President: Maggie Waymark
Senior Account Manager: Shae Pollock
Account Manager: Shantelle Naomi Pereira

Client: Pizza Hut Canada
Chief Brand Officer: Daniel Meynen
Marketing Director: Jennifer Ligotti
Marketing Manager: Daniela Di Vito